Young people of Britain worried Brexit will increase inequality and intolerance

News

Young people of Britain worried Brexit will increase inequality and intolerance

Wed 18 Oct 2017

Young people told us in unequivocal terms they want to live in a country and world that is fair, and committed to equality and social justice

Brexit

Young British people feel the Government is not doing enough in its Brexit negotiations to ensure equality, social justice and shared economic prosperity both in the UK and in Britain’s relationships abroad.

These are the findings of a new report from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), the youth organisation ‘My life, My Say’ and the All Parliamentary Group on a Better Brexit for Young People, being launched at the House of Commons today (18 October).

• Many young people are concerned about the negative impact of Brexit on multi-ethnic communities – this includes concerns about rising intolerance, discrimination, racism and the decline of Britain’s multicultural image.

• Young people feel Brexit has politicised a generation. Although some feel this in an important opportunity, a significant majority feel citizens do not have enough political knowledge when it comes to the EU and that investment in political education is needed.

• Regardless of age or the way they voted, young people want an open, equal, prosperous society where their voices are heard.

The report calls on UK and EU negotiators to work with young people to ensure their visions for post-Brexit Britain are reflected in the process of leaving the European Union.

Dr Shakuntala Banaji, Associate Professor in the Department of Media and Communications at LSE and one of the report’s authors said: “Our work is about understanding the complex ways young people can contribute to negotiating major political processes that affect their lives. Our report contains evidence that many young people in the UK hold sophisticated and critical views about Brexit, about the mainstream media’s role in (mis)representing the EU, and about the responsibility the UK government has to ensure social and economic equality and prosperity in the aftermath.”

Dr Sam Mejias, a researcher in the Department of Media and Communications at LSE and another of the report’s authors, said: “We have spent the last 12 months travelling around the country to try and better understand the kind of Brexit that young people want implemented by the British government. They told us in unequivocal terms they want to live in a country and world that is fair, and committed to equality and social justice.”

Behind the article

The report contains data from 40 focus groups conducted nationally by LSE, MLMS and partner youth organisations between November 2016 and October 2017.

In addition to the focus groups, YouGov conducted a survey in August 2017 of 3,288 British young and adult citizens on behalf of APPG Brexit to gauge cross-generational perspectives on the issues raised through the research.

British young people, drawn from a diverse range of economic, social and geographical backgrounds, overwhelmingly spoke of a vision of a more equal and globally inclusive United Kingdom.

London School of Economics and Political Science

Houghton Street

London

WC2A 2AEUK

LSE is a private company limited by guarantee, registration number 70527.